


Babysitting Snapshots

by stormysgambit



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Argentina, Babysitting, Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Post canon, a lot of thoughts, and am very soft over it, i just have, on tooru and hajime with other people's children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:09:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27645272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormysgambit/pseuds/stormysgambit
Summary: “Oh, I forgot to tell you,” he adds, noting the puzzled expression on Hajime’s face. “We’re babysitting today.”The story of how Tooru and Hajime become the favorite unofficial uncles for all of the San Juan player's children
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 13
Kudos: 183
Collections: IwaOi Week 2020





	Babysitting Snapshots

Hajime isn’t sure what he is expecting when he opens the door to Tooru’s apartment upon returning home from his morning run. It certainly isn’t to have “Welcome home Uncle Iwa-chan” chorused back at him when he calls out “I’m home”. Nor is it to see three small children beaming at him, one balanced on Tooru’s hip, the other two hanging off of his free hand and leg. 

“Okay, they may need to work on it a little bit, but you get the idea. Welcome home,” Tooru tells him, pecking him on the cheek. “Oh, I forgot to tell you,” he adds, noting the puzzled expression on Hajime’s face. “We’re babysitting today.”

“Tooru whose kids are these?” Hajime vaguely recalls Tooru mentioning to him a month or so ago that he has started babysitting for some of his teammates. 

“Mateo’s. Mendez. Middle blocker?” Tooru offers, seeing Hajime is still confused. 

“Oh.”

“These are the twins, Sofia (the one hanging off Tooru’s hand) and Tomas (the one on this leg). “And this little beauty is Isabella,” Tooru says, nodding his head at the girl he’s holding. “I’ve been teaching them Japanese.”

“You’ve been teaching them Japanese.” 

Tooru looks at Hajime as though he’s suffered some form of brain trauma. “Of course. How else are they supposed to speak with you?” He sets Isabella down on the floor and pats Hajime on the cheek. “So silly Iwa-chan. Your Spanish is still...well let’s just say it needs work. I’ve been teaching all the kids. I wanted to make you feel more comfortable while you’re here.” He smiles and softly squeezes Hajime’s hand when he says this. “I know how difficult it is coming somewhere where you don’t speak the language. It’s not the same as you being in America, we did have to learn English after all.”

Hajime knows that Tooru is more considerate than he appears to be to a lot of people, but even so he’s amazed he’s had this kind of foresight. Between practice, video calls with Hajime, babysitting, and apparently being a Japanese tutor, he must have hardly any time to himself. Hajime feels a tug on his leg, and looks down to see Tomas offering him a stuffed dinosaur. He takes it and then looks at Tooru, “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Tooru rolls his eyes. “Just play with him Hajime. It’s not hard. Or have you lost all of your childhood whimsy and forgotten how to do that?” He raises an eyebrow mockingly, challenging Hajime. 

“Uncle Toto, Uncle Toto, you promised you would do my hair,” Sofia pleads gazing up at Tooru.

Tooru squats down so he is at eye level with her. “Of course I will. I just have to sort out Uncle Iwa-chan first. He can be slow sometimes though, so just be patient for me, okay?” He kisses her on the tip of her nose and she nods before glaring at Hajime and running off, dragging Isabella behind her. 

Hajime has no idea what Tooru and Sofia just said to each other, but he’s fairly certain Tooru has insulted him. “Tooru how exactly am I supposed to play with him if I can’t even talk to him?”

Tooru rolls his eyes again and clicks his tongue. “You don’t have to speak, just make growling noises or whatever. It’ll be fine.” He waves his hand dismissively. “Tomas is very low maintenance. Don’t look at me like that, I’m not asking you to perform brain surgery.”

“UNCLE TOTO” Sofia calls from the living room. 

“Just go play with Tomas, I have to do Sofia’s hair.” 

It isn’t so bad, Hajime thinks from his spot on the floor, currently trapped underneath a small pile of stuffed animals. He lets out a roar and pushes himself up, sending the stuffed animals flying and Tomas running across the room. 

“See Iwa-chan, I told you it wasn’t hard, you’re doing great,” Tooru tells him smugly from his position on the couch. Tooru blows a kiss at Isabella who is sitting next to him, watching him perform some sort of elaborate braiding maneuver on Sofia’s hair. Sofia looks like a tiny and perfect little statue, other than the fact that she is still side-eying Hajime. 

Hajime roars again and lunges after Tomas, swooping him up over his head. 

Tomas laughs and cries out “Again, again!” 

“He wants you to do it again,” Tooru says without looking up from Sofia’s hair. 

Hajime happily repeats the process until Tomas grows tired of it and returns to playing with his stuffed animals. “Hey Tooru,” Hajime asks, picking Isabella up and placing her on his lap before sitting on the couch next to him. “Have I done something wrong?” Tooru raises an eyebrow at him quizzically. “Sofia keeps looking at me like I’m something you’d find on the bottom of your shoe.”

Sofia turns her head when she hears her name, but says nothing. “Oh that. You’re her rival Iwa-chan.”

“Her rival?” Hajime repeats as he bounces his knee up and down, causing Isabella to giggle. 

“She’s in love with me.” 

“In love with you?”

“That’s what she told me anyways. But I told her my heart belonged to you Iwa-chan, and that while I love her very much, I’m too old for her. So she’s trying to figure out if you’re good enough for me.”

“Tell her she can have you if she wants, you’re too much of a pain.” Hajime nudges Tooru with his shoulder. 

“Your words wound me,” Tooru claims, holding a hand over his heart. “Alright my dear, you’re all done,” he tells Sofia, and Hajime is a little impressed with how smoothly he transitions between the two languages. He’s even more impressed with what Tooru has managed to do with Sofia’s hair, transforming it into a series of cascading braids all interwoven together, flowing down her back like black waterfalls. “Why don’t you ask Uncle Iwa-chan what he thinks of your hair?”

Sofia stands and positions herself in front of Hajime, her eyes locked firmly on his own, cheeks puffed out. “You’re really good at this, she looks lovely,” he tells Tooru. 

“Uncle Toto, what did he say?” Sofia asks. 

“He said that you are the loveliest little _senorita_ he’s ever laid eyes on,” Tooru tells her scooping Isabella off of Hajime’s lap. “Alright gorgeous, now it’s your turn,” he coos at her. 

Sofia makes a little curtsy and kisses Hajime on the cheek. “Thank you Uncle Iwa-chan.”

“Iwa-chan, have you gone all soft on me? You’re blushing.” Tooru teases.

“That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” Tooru asks Hajime after Mateo drops by to collect the children. 

“No, it was actually pretty fun. It’s nice to have you all to myself now though.” Tooru’s head is in his lap, and Hajime is idly running his fingers through his hair. 

“Means I get to do this,” Tooru agrees, squeezing Hajime’s arm before lifting his head up to kiss him. “I think they liked you though,” he adds, settling his head back into Hajime’s lap.

“Even Sofia?”

“Even Sofia. Just remember though, you’re going to have to answer to her if you do anything to hurt me. So be careful with my fragile heart Iwa-chan.” He places a hand over his heart and flutters his eyelashes.

“If I’ve stuck with you this long, I don’t think she has anything to worry about.”

“Mmm, you’re probably right there. But if you even think about it…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

★★★★★

They are in the kitchen of Tooru’s apartment, Hajime currently seated at the table with his textbooks spread out in front of him. Tooru is at the counter with Carmen and Luisa, teaching them how to make onigiri. The girls are standing on a small wooden bench so that they can reach the counter better. Hajime was invited to partake in this endeavor also, but he declined, partially because he needs to study and partially because Tooru always makes fun of the way his onigiri turns out. 

They take the girls for a walk while they wait for the rice to cool, Carmen and Luisa sandwiched between Hajime and Tooru, all four of their hands linked. They stop at the tiny neighborhood park and the girls run over to the swings. 

“Uncle Toto, Uncle Toto, you have to push us!” Carmen calls behind her as she runs. 

“You know, Uncle Iwa-chan is the best at pushing people on the swings,” Tooru tells the girls. “Well maybe the best after me,” he adds, elbowing Hajime in the side. “You see how big his arms are? That’s from all the swing pushing he does.” He winks at Hajime. 

“Is that true Uncle Iwa-chan?” Luisa asks, her eyes wide. 

“Absolutely. I’m a part time swing pusher when I’m not in school,” Hajime replies, grinning at her. “Who wants to go first?” 

Both girls are eager to be pushed by a professional, but as the elder, Carmen allows Luisa to go first. Tooru sits on the bench behind the swings pouting. “I didn’t realize I could be replaced so easily.” He crosses his arms over his chest, sulking until Carmen comes over to ask if he will push her. “No, it’s okay, I understand, you wanted an upgrade. You can just wait for Uncle Iwa-chan to finish with your sister.”

“Uncle Toto, we didn’t mean it. Come push me please?” Carmen grabs hold of one of his hands pleading with him.

“Well I suppose, if you insist, then I guess I can. Only because you asked so nicely my dear.” 

“I can’t believe you’re even manipulating children to get your way,” Hajime says when Tooru rejoins him at the swings. “Especially since you’re the one who said I was the best at this anyways.”

“Technicalities, Iwa-chan, technicalities.”

Once the girls have both gotten to experience what it feels like to be pushed by an actual swing pusher, Tooru declares that it’s time to return home. Hajime attempts to return to his studying, but instead finds himself watching Tooru teach the girls just how to shape the onigiri. He takes their hands and guides them so they can get the proper feel for just how to shape them. He is the epitome of patience, speaking softly to them and offering them both praise. He turns around and smiles at Hajime every so often. Carmen picks up on the process fairly quickly, so Tooru focuses on Luisa, who is frustrated to not be grasping the skill as quickly as her sister. Tooru places Carmen in charge of the wrapping while he and Luisa work on shaping. 

“I think they look beautiful,” Tooru tells Luisa, who is still sulking over Carmen’s promotion. “Why don’t you go show Uncle Iwa-chan?”

Luisa wanders over to the kitchen table, offering out the unwrapped onigiri for inspection. “That may just be the best onigiri I’ve ever seen,” Hajime agrees and Luisa heads back over to Tooru, a noticeable bounce in her step. Tooru turns around to smile at him again. 

“I think you’re ready for wrapping. Carmen, what do you say we let your sister finish the rest of these?” Carmen acquiesces, and Tooru begins showing Luisa how to wrap. They add the finished products to the plate started by Carmen. “That’s that, now give me a minute to clean this up and then we’re going to show Uncle Iwa-chan how to make tamales, right girls?”

“We’re doing what now?” 

“Please, please Uncle Iwa-chan?”

Hajime’s head snaps back up and he finds himself looking at three sets of pleading large brown eyes. He’s fairly certain that Tooru is the one who taught the girls how to make this face. He can feel his inner resolve crumbling. “Fine fine, but no one make fun of me when it’s a disaster.”

“Don’t worry Uncle Iwa-chan, we would never,” Luisa tells him, sounding exactly like Tooru, taking his hand and dragging him to the counter.

“You wouldn’t but Uncle Toto might,” Hajime mutters under his breath.

“I heard that.” Tooru sticks his tongue out at Hajime behind the girls’ backs. 

They form another assembly line, Carmen calmly explaining how to make the masa while Tooru and Luisa work on the filling. Hajime is delegated to filling because apparently his folding leaves something to be desired. Nobody says anything outright, but Luisa pats his hand and tells him that his tamales look nice. For his first time making them though, he doesn’t think they look too bad.

They send Luisa and Carmen home that night with half the onigiri and tamales and then set about cleaning up the kitchen. “Look how domestic you’re becoming Iwa-chan. Guess you do have husband potential after all.” 

Hajime sprays Tooru with the faucet in retaliation and Tooru swats at him with a dish towel. He could get used to this baby-sitting, Hajime thinks. Especially when the kids are as well behaved as Carmen and Luisa. Still, it’s nice to have Tooru all to himself. 

★★★★★

“Iwa-chan help!” Tooru cries out from where is currently pinned to the grass in his backyard. His face is turning red, hair in disarray.

Hajime gives a conspiratorial grin to the four boys currently sitting atop of Tooru before settling himself onto Tooru’s legs. 

Tooru’s eyes narrow. “Traitor.”

“You never said who I was supposed to be helping. Did he?”

“No, you didn’t Uncle Toto,” four voices parrot back at him. 

“If that’s how you really want to play this then…” Tooru’s eyes glint mischievously and his voice takes on a steely tone. “Everyone pile on Uncle Iwa-chan!” 

Hajime doesn’t have time to register what’s being said before four bodies jump off of Tooru and tackle him to the ground. Tooru stands up and brushes himself off, smirking down at Hajime. “Payback,” he mouths before heading into the house to start on dinner. 

“Who wants to arm wrestle?” 

“Me! Me! Me!” All four of the boys wave their hands eagerly. 

Hajime sits down and the boys line up in front of them. He pins each of the first three, though he makes a great show of struggling to do so first. When it is Julian, the youngest’s turn, he calls Tooru back out to the yard to watch.

“Uncle Toto, I’m going to beat Uncle Iwa-chan.”

“Are you really? Good thing I’m here to watch this then, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him lose.”

“He’s right you know, I’ve not lost once.” Hajime winks at Julian and props his arm up, wrapping his hand around Julian’s much smaller one. Hajime draws the match out, their arms wavering back and forth before Julian’s arm pins his to the table. 

“Uncle Toto, Uncle Toto, did you see? I won!”

“I saw, look at you defeating the arm wrestling champion!” Tooru snaps a picture. “I can’t wait to send this to Makki and see what he says about you losing to a four year old.” He saunters back into the house.

“You only won because Uncle Iwa-chan let you, you know,” Victor tells Julian. 

“Yeah, he went easy on you because you’re the youngest,” Cristofer adds, Raul nodding in agreement. 

“Uncle Iwa-chan, is that true?” There are tears in the corners of Julian’s eyes now and his mouth is twisting into a frown, face starting to turn red. 

“Of course not. Arm wrestling is serious business, I would never throw a match. Your brothers are just jealous they’re not as strong as you are.” This seems to be the correct response, the tears disappear from Julian’s eyes. Hajime ruffles his hair. “Alright, should we play some futbol until dinner is ready?” The response is even more enthusiastic than it was for arm-wrestling. 

Tooru can hear the sound of the ball being kicked around the yard, accompanied by yells for passes and shots to be made. He occasionally looks out the window to watch the boys running back and forth, trying to get the ball past Hajime who has been designated goalie. 

“UNCLE TOTO!” 

Tooru is so focused on what he is doing that the cry cuts through his thoughts like a knife, and the next thing he is aware of is a searing pain in his hand. He has just poured boiling water all over it. “Shit,” he mutters, turning the faucet on holding it under the cool water while craning his neck trying to figure out the reason for the outburst. 

“UNCLE TOTO!” Julian wails again, tears streaming down his bright red face. Hajime dashes over, and is a little alarmed at the bump rising on his forehead from when he collided with Cristofer moments ago. Victor and Raul are standing quietly off to the side in shock. Cristofer at least appears to be fine, though tears are forming in his eyes now too, probably brought on by Julian’s own. 

“I didn’t mean to,” he says tugging on Hajime’s shirt. 

“I know you didn’t. Accidents happen.” He turns his attention back to Julian. “Hey buddy, where does it hurt?”

“I NEED UNCLE TOTO!” Julian begins to cry harder and Hajime looks around, surprised Tooru hasn’t been drawn out here by all the noise. 

“I’m not sure where he is at the moment, is there anything I can do for you? Until he gets here?”

“I NEED UNCLE TOTO! HE HAS TO KISS IT BETTER, HE ALWAYS KISSES IT BETTER!” 

Hajime reaches out and takes one of Julian’s hands. “Uncle Toto isn’t here right now, but I am. Do you think it would be okay if I kissed it better for you? Just this once?” Julian stops crying for a moment and nods his head, sniffling. Hajime wipes the tears and snot away from Julian’s face before placing a tiny kiss on the bump. “How does that feel? Any better?” Julian nods again, still sniffling. “Alright, let’s get you some ice to put on that, how does that sound?” Hajime asks, picking Julian up and carrying him into the house. 

“Hajime, what happened?” Tooru asks, taking in Julian’s tear stained face and the knot on his head. “Is he okay? Do we need to take him to get his head looked at?”

“He collided with Cristofer while we were playing futbol. Just looking to get some ice for it. I think he’ll be okay.” Hajime grabs a washcloth and opens the freezer, placing a few cubes in it. 

“Uncle Iwa-chan kissed it better for me,” Julian tells Tooru.

“Did he now? I bet it feels loads better then.” Tooru reaches out to take Julian from Hajime, and prods lightly at the bump. 

“Uncle Toto, you’re hurt!”

“Tooru, what happened to your hand?” Hajime runs a finger gently over the reddened skin which is starting to blister in some places.

“I just burned it a little, it’s fine.” Hajime raises an eyebrow. “It is, I barely feel it now.” Hajime presses a bit harder and Tooru winces. 

“Uncle Toto, you need to have Uncle Iwa-chan kiss it better,” Julian chimes in from his position in Tooru’s arms. 

“No, he really doesn’t need to do that. What we need to worry about is you little man.” Tooru takes the ice from Hajime and presses it against the bump. “I heal fast.”

“You don’t have to be brave Uncle Toto.”

“Yeah Tooru, you don’t have to be brave. It looks pretty nasty. It must hurt a lot.” 

“Kiss it better for him Uncle Iwa-chan.” 

“No, no Hajime, you really don’t have to,” Tooru tries to shrug him off and save him from being embarrassed in front of the boys. 

Hajime holds Tooru’s hand up to his lips and places his lips gingerly against the burned skin. “Better?”

The faintest trace of a blush spreads across Tooru’s face as he lets out a soft “yes”. 

“Eww, look Uncle Toto’s blushing,” Hajime looks down to see that Victor, Raul, and Cristofer have finally decided to join the rest of them, and who knows how long they’ve been there. 

“You guys will understand when you’re older,” Hajime tells them, kissing Tooru’s hand again. 

★★★★★

It’s pretty amazing that for the number of years Tooru and Hajime have been babysitting now that this is the first time they’re having to do so overnight. Gerardo and Ramona are standing in Tooru’s hallway, overnight bags in their hands, staring at the door after their parents. There is no trace of the usual enthusiasm over getting to spend time with Uncle Toto and Uncle Iwa-chan. 

“First things first. What do you guys say we go ahead and get changed out of those clothes and into our pjs?”

“Uncle Toto, you’re making us go to bed already?” Gerardo and Ramona are looking at him with apprehension. 

“No, no.” Tooru laughs, ruffling Gerardo’s hair. “I just thought that pajamas are much comfier and more suited to all the fun activities we have planned for you guys. Come on, I’ll race you to your room.” He dashes up the stairs, leaving Hajime to deal with the bags. Typical of him really. 

“See don’t you feel much more ready for building a fort? Tooru gestures at the massive pile of pillows, blankets and cushions strewn all over the floor and earns a very enthusiastic “yes” in response. “Gerardo why don’t you start on this end with me, and Ramona you and Uncle Iwa-chan start over there, we’ll meet in the middle.”

The construction of the fort turns out to be quite the process, hindered by the fact that about halfway through, Tooru decides he would rather start war with Hajime. He tosses a pillow across the room, hitting Hajime square in the face. Gerardo and Ramona’s mouths drop open in shock. “Gerardo get down,” Tooru hisses, as Hajime launches a couch cushion in their direction. 

“Don’t start something if you plan on running away from it,” he yells at Tooru as the cushion hits the wall. 

“Oh, so that’s how you want to be Iwa-chan? This means _war_.” His eyes glint with malice as he winks at Gerardo. 

All the work they have put into the fort thus far is gone in the blink of an eye. Pillows and blankets are torn away and thrown across the room. Cushions are strewn everywhere as though an explosion has gone off. It’s hard to say who is winning exactly. 

Tooru screeches as a pillow hits him square in the face, followed by “I’m so sorry Uncle Toto!”

“Your sister has one heck of an arm on her,” Tooru whispers to Gerardo, rubbing his jaw. “She’s too soft though. You have to be absolutely merciless if you want to win!” He pokes his head back over their makeshift barricade. “Aim over there and you can take both of them out.” Gerardo throws the pillow he is holding where Tooru is pointing. Hajime and Ramona have chosen this moment to survey the situation and both are hit square in the face. “Looks like we win!” Tooru crows as he high fives Gerardo. 

Tooru, Gerardo, Hajime, and Ramona all lay on the floor, amidst all the chaos, chests heaving with exertion for several moments before they make an effort to get up. It is naturally, Tooru with his boundless stamina who seems to recover first. He starts gathering the pillows and blankets back up and setting about reconstructing the fort. Ramona and Gerardo join him shortly thereafter, while Hajime refuses to move. 

“Here lies a fallen warrior,” Tooru claims, tossing a blanket over top of Hajime. Hajime’s arms snake out from underneath the blanket, pulling Tooru down on top of him. “Iwa-chan let me go!” he cries struggling against Hajime’s tight grip. 

“You should have checked to make sure I was dead,” Hajime whispers in his ear. 

“You’re playing dirty!” 

“All’s fair in pillow fight war,” Hajime replies, smirking as he crushes his lips against Tooru’s. 

Not wanting to be left out from the rematch, Ramona and Gerardo charge back in, pillows swinging wildly. The second pillow fight goes on even longer than the first, feathers and stuffing flying through the air. It’s hard to say who is victorious this time, though it can be said that the ending blow was dealt to an innocent lamp, which falls to the floor, but doesn’t break. Tooru claims it would have been fine though, because it’s not like he cares much for that lamp anyways. 

Apparently, when it comes to fort building, the third time is in fact the charm. It’s pretty impressive really, Tooru thinks, observing their handiwork, which spans the entire length of the living room and extends fairly high up, thanks to the aid of a few of the dining room chairs. Fort of champions really. Maybe they should add fort building to their resumes. The inside of the fort is a nest full of the softest of all of Tooru’s blankets in the middle of a pile of fuzzy pillows. Tooru wasn’t even aware he owned so many pillows. The four of them huddle together, wrapped up in the blankets, watching movies until Ramona and Gerardo start to drift off to sleep. 

It’s so warm and comfortable in there, Tooru finds himself nodding off as well. It’s probably thanks to the warmth of Hajime’s body, who has one arm wrapped around Tooru’s waist while the other cards through his hair. He must have dozed off for a few minutes, because the next thing he is aware of is Hajime poking him in the side. “We should probably get them into actual beds,” he says, nodding at Ramona and Gerardo now asleep a few feet away from them. 

They somehow manage to make their way out from underneath the fort without it collapsing on them, and carry Gerardo and Ramona upstairs to the guest room, placing them on the bed. Hajime and Tooru are cleaning up the living room when they hear a voice calling out from upstairs. 

“Uncle Toto,” they hear, so soft at first they think they imagine it. Until they hear it again. They rush up the stairs to find Gerardo and Ramona now awake and sitting upright in the bed.

“What’s wrong?” Tooru flicks on the light and walks over to the bed. 

They point at the closet, with trembling arms. 

“Oh, I see,” Tooru begins. “You guys don’t have to worry about closet monsters. Or, the ones under the bed. You know why?” They both shake their heads. “Because Uncle Iwa-chan scared them all off. Isn’t that right?” Hajime nods his head and they turn to look at him. “You see, the reason Uncle Iwa-chan can’t be here all the time is he hunts the closet and bed monsters. It takes him all over the place. It’s hard, not having him here all the time, but it’s okay, because I know he’s making it so that other little boys and girls like you guys can sleep safely at night.” Tooru doesn’t take his eyes off of Hajime while he speaks. 

Hajime goes and stands by the closet, opening the door to show Ramona and Gerardo there is nothing inside. 

“Is that true Uncle Iwa-chan?” Ramona asks him.

“It is. There’s a lot of monsters out there, some of them don’t know when to stay away. But that’s where I come in. As much as I’d love to be here all the time, it’s a tough job.” His eyes remain locked with Tooru’s as he says this. “You guys don’t have to worry though. All the monsters know not to come to Uncle Toto’s house.”

“That’s the reason his arms are so big, it’s from all the monsters he fights. Quite the rigorous workout. You have to be big and strong if you want to be the best.”

This seems to be a satisfactory explanation, and Gerardo and Ramona sleep quietly the rest of the night, safe from any monsters. They wake up in the morning well rested and in good spirits. They are sad when their parents come to collect them after breakfast. This is quite the change from the night before when they were begging their parents not to leave them. They cheer up though, when Hajime and Tooru tell them that they are always welcome to come spend the night. There’s always room for more pillow fight wars, and at Tooru’s house, they never have to worry about monsters. 

★★★★★

“They seem to have caught a bit of a bug,” Claudia, Hugo’s wife, tells Tooru when he opens the door. “Are you sure you still want to watch them?”

Tooru sighs internally and plasters on a smile before he answers. “Of course, you and Hugo have had these tickets for months now, I’d hate for you to have to cancel.”

“You’re a lifesaver. I don’t think it’s anything too serious, but if they get too bad, you call me okay?” She presses a kiss to Tooru’s cheek and walks off, leaving him standing there with three sniffling children. 

“Everything will be fine, we can handle this,” Tooru tells himself, ushering the children inside and steering them towards the couch. “No need to panic.” He wraps them up in blankets and puts on a movie before going upstairs to find Hajime. 

“It’s probably just a cold Tooru, I don’t think you need to worry this much. If it were more serious, Claudia and Hugo wouldn’t have gone. Kids get sick all the time and they bounce back pretty fast.” 

Tooru bites at his lip as he waits for Hajime to finish. “Tooru, it will be fine. I think we can handle three kids with a little cold.” Hajime kisses Tooru on the forehead. “They’ll probably just sleep most of the day anyways if they’re feeling that terrible.”

“Uncle Toto,” a small and scratchy voice can be heard calling from downstairs, sending Tooru dashing off, Hajime following behind him.

“Uncle Toto, my throat hurts.” Leo looks up at him from his spot on the couch, his eyes pained. 

“I know it does, I’m going to make you something to make it better okay?” He turns to Hajime. “Can you just sit here with them? If they need anything? I’ll make some ginger tea and porridge. That should help…” He bites at his lip again, and Hajime squeezes his hand. 

Hajime turns on the television and puts on a movie, sitting down in the middle of the children. Diego crawls into his lap sniffling. Hajime grabs the box of tissues from the side table and wipes at Diego’s face and the snot that is accumulating there. “Uncle Iwa-chan, me too.” Alma tugs on his arms and Hajime offers her the box. 

“Uncle Toto,” Leo calls out again, coughing.

Tooru stares at the kettle on the stovetop, trying to will it to boil faster. When he hears Leo call out for him again, his chest tightens a little bit. Is he imagining it, or does his voice sound scratchier? Finally the kettle whistles, and he pours the boiling water into a teacup. He waits a few minutes allowing it to cool before going back out to the living room and handing it to Leo. “This should help your throat, but it’s hot, so be careful and drink it slow, okay?” He smooths the hair back on Leo’s forehead. “Any better?” 

“A little…” 

Tooru frowns. “You just rest your voice for now. Try not to talk too much. Drink your tea.” He runs a hand through his hair anxiously. 

“Uncle Toto, do you need any help?” Alma shifts herself upright. “I don’t feel that bad.” Her argument would be far more convincing if it weren’t interrupted by a coughing fit.

“No, no, you just stay here with Uncle Iwa-chan and rest.” Tooru pauses and scoops Diego off of Hajime’s lap. He doesn’t seem to be too bad at the moment, maybe he should be kept away from his brother and sister. Diego nuzzles against Tooru’s chest and sniffles. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. Uncle Iwa-chan can tell you guys a story.” 

Tooru places Diego in the highchair, where he seems to be fairly content. Maybe Hajime is right and he’s overreacting. He can hear Hajime’s voice coming from the living room. He pauses what he’s doing every so often to wipe Diego’s nose and check for fever, which luckily, there doesn’t seem to be. “Looks like you’re the lucky one, eh?” he asks Diego who smiles back at him, perhaps a bit less brightly than he normally would, but apparently still in good spirits. 

Tooru can make out, just barely, the increased sounds of coughing from inside the living room. He taps his foot impatiently, waiting for the porridge to finish cooking, which seems like forever. When at last it does, he hurriedly scoops it into bowls, tells Diego “I’ll be right back,” and brings it out to Alma and Leo. “Here this should help you guys feel better,” he offers weakly, not really sure of it himself. Alma at least, takes a few bites before pushing the rest of her bowl away. Leo makes no move to touch his however, and Tooru places a hand against his forehead, frowning. “Iwa-chan, does he feel feverish to you?” 

Hajime also presses a hand to Leo’s face. “A little bit, yeah. Here, look I’ll get the thermometer.” He goes to the kitchen to retrieve Diego before heading to the medicine cabinet. “38.7, so he’s a little high,” he tells Tooru when the thermometer beeps. 

“Do you think we should check the other two?” Tooru’s voice is anxious, and he again worries at his lip which is becoming red and swollen, Hajime notes.

Diego is blessedly fever free, he appears to just have the sniffles. Alma’s temperature is 37.6, so not as much reason for concern as Leo, though Tooru insists she sounds like her cough is getting worse. Tooru is so panicked at this point that Hajime breaks out the cold medicine Claudia has provided. “We’ll give this a chance to kick in before we call Hugo and Claudia,” he says, rubbing the back of Tooru’s hand with his thumb, trying to calm him. 

Medicine administered, Tooru takes Hajime’s place on the couch, settling in between Alma and Leo. The three of them are cocooned underneath several large, fluffy blankets. Hajime takes the armchair, holding Diego against his chest. The medicine seems to be kicking in because both Leo and Alma are falling asleep next to Tooru.

“Uncle Toto, aren’t you worried you’ll get sick too?” Leo asks, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

Tooru hums and takes a moment before he responds. “No, because if I do, then Uncle Iwa-chan will take care of me.”

“Hey, aren’t you guys worried about me?” Hajime tries to mimic Tooru’s fake pained expression. 

“Uncle Toto said you never get sick because the germs are scared of your face.”

“Oh he did, did he?” Hajime raises an eyebrow and glances over at Tooru.

“Would you rather I told them the germs were afraid you’d beat them to a pulp with those big, strong arms of yours? Besides we all know Uncle Iwa-chan is actually a softie, so it’s fine if the germs don’t know that, right guys?” Leo and Alma mumble yes back at him, barely audible. 

Once all the kids are asleep, Hajime looks over at Tooru, who appears to be struggling to stay awake himself. He is also incapable of moving, so Hajime takes it upon himself to wipe the faces of all the kids once again, as a favor to him. They are both relieved when Hugo and Claudia come to pick up the kids, Tooru markedly more so. 

“I never want to have to deal with anything like that again,” he tells Hajime, collapsing against him, exhausted. 

“I don’t know, I think we did okay.”

“You did maybe,” Tooru replies, his face pressed against Hajime’s chest. “A true pro. All calm and collected. I think I fell in love with you all over again.”

“You weren’t that bad,” Hajime says into Tooru’s hair. “The fact that you worried so much just shows how much you love those kids. It’s sweet. And look, now they’re back with their parents, which means you can just relax now.” He kisses the top of Tooru’s head, Tooru can do nothing more than murmur “mmf”. 

★★★★★

Tooru sits on the floor of the living room, eyes closed, while Elena applies glitter eyeshadow. Karina stands off to the side, brush in her hand, patiently waiting for her sister to be done so she can apply blush. Hajime stands in the doorway, watching the process unfold. The girls have decided that today is dress-up day and Tooru happily volunteered. 

There was a bit of trial and error earlier on, in the day, in which too much makeup was applied, large circles of blush on Tooru’s cheeks, lipstick smeared around the outside of his lips. When Karina and Elena asked him how they had done, Tooru declared it perfect. 

“It doesn’t look as good as when mom does it though,” Karina said, frowning at him. 

“I think it looks lovely,” Tooru replied, before adding, “But if you want more practice, we can try again.” 

The girls nodded their heads enthusiastically, and Tooru grabbed a wipe rubbing at his face. He launched into a very detailed explanation of how to apply each type of makeup, demonstrating as he talked. Hajime asked how he had learned so much about makeup application and Tooru simply stated that he had learned from watching his sister while he executed a perfect wingtip. 

The girls sat and patiently took all this information in, anxious to have another go at it. 

“You can open your eyes now Uncle Toto,” Elena tells him, and Tooru slowly blinks his eyes open, turning them to Hajime. 

“How do I look, Iwa-chan?” Tooru asks, batting his eyes, flecks of blue glitter sparkling as they catch the light. Tooru’s eyes have always been one of Hajime’s favorite features, large and full of burning passion and intensity. Surrounded by a deep, smoky blue, they are all but smoldering. When the girls asked for Hajime's input on color, he told them blue, because blue has always been Tooru's color. Hajime can feel a blush spreading on his face, and Tooru winks at him before turning back to the girls. If they decide to apply mascara, Hajime thinks he may have a heart attack. 

“It’s my turn now!” Karina exclaims, plopping herself on the floor in front of Tooru. The brush barely kisses the skin of Tooru’s cheeks, accenting the curvature of his cheekbones as Tooru walks her through the process. You probably wouldn’t notice it if you weren’t looking for it. Karina holds the mirror up for Tooru to examine. “You just might have a career in makeup,” he tells her, and she blushes.

“It’s my turn again, Uncle Toto!” Elena cries, holding out a tube of lipstick. Tooru pouts his lips, keeping his eyes trained on Hajime while she applies. If Hajime had to guess, the color falls somewhere between pink and red. It’s not the color Hajime is focused on so much as how much fuller the product is making Tooru’s lips look. Elena applies a shimmering lip gloss over the top and then sits back to admire her handiwork.

The finishing touch is a sparkling blue nail polish to match the eyeshadow.

“Uncle Iwa-chan, you should come help,” Elena calls out, and Hajime tries to shrug her off. 

“I’m not as good at this,” he begins to protest, but the girls and Tooru insist. 

“Nonsense, Iwa-chan,” Tooru tells him, holding out one of his hands. Hajime shakes the bottle and brushes the lacquer onto one long nail, thinking to himself it doesn’t look too bad. He moves on to the next one, and before he knows it, he has finished. He holds Tooru’s hand up near his mouth to blow on the nails and allow them to dry, he’s pretty sure that’s what you’re supposed to do. Tooru examines the hand when he’s done, and it seems satisfactory. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Now that Tooru is properly made up, everyone’s attention is directed to Hajime. And with three pairs of eyes pleading with him, how can he say no? So he sits patiently on the floor as Elena and Karina apply eyeshadow, lipstick, blush. Tooru contemplates color choices, telling the girls the best way to highlight the green of Hajime’s eyes, the slight olive tone to his skin. “Alright Iwa-chan, close your eyes,” Tooru instructs, holding out a mascara brush. Hajime can feel the brush just barely hitting his eyelashes. 

With both their uncles all made up, it is Karina and Elena’s turn. Hajime is expecting both of them to be clamoring for Tooru to do their makeup, but Karina settles in front of Hajime, looking at him expectantly. “I trust you Uncle Iwa-chan,” she tells him. 

Hajime watches Tooru as he works on Elena’s makeup, trying to mimic what he’s seeing. For Hajime’s sake, Tooru dictates what he’s doing, carefully explaining the process. Sensing his nervousness, Karina squeezes his hand. Hajime breathes a sigh, and picks up a brush, glancing over at Tooru again. 

There is a definite difference, if you compare the two. Elena looks like a professional makeup artist has done hers, but Karina’s makeup isn’t quite as bad as Hajime was expecting. He offered to wipe her face off so Tooru could make her up better, but she politely declined. 

“It’s very good for your first time Uncle Iwa-chan. You’ll get better the more practice you have.” 

Hajime can feel himself blushing again. The girls break out some costume jewelry and feather boas they have brought with them, so that the four of them can be appropriately attired for their tea party. They gather around the kitchen table, drinking tea and chatting until Karina and Elena’s parents come to collect them.

“You know, that look suits you,” Hajime tells Tooru, once the girls are gone. 

“Funny, I was just going to say the same thing to you,” Tooru replies.

“Really?” Hajime asks, incredulous. He is well aware that his features are much harder than Tooru’s.

“Really. I put a lot of thought into it. After all this time, you think I wouldn’t know what looks best on you?” Tooru grins at Hajime flirtatiously, before pressing his lips against his. They taste faintly of strawberries. Neither one makes any effort to remove the makeup until they shower that night. 

★★★★★

Hajime learns many things over the years that he and Tooru spend babysitting. The first is that all of the daughters of the San Juan players are in love with Tooru, and all of them are wary of him at first. Apparently, he needs to pass some sort of inspection. It’s because Tooru is capable of being so charming, he tells himself. They need to make sure that he is actually good enough for their Uncle Toto. Some of them warm up to him faster than others, but eventually all of them do. Or so it would appear. Because Tooru constantly reminds him that if he should ever do anything to hurt him, he’ll have a veritable army who will come after him. 

“Don’t worry, they love their Uncle Iwa-chan too,” Tooru tells him constantly. “Besides, it doesn’t matter what all of them think of you. _I_ love you, and I’m the only one who matters.” 

Hajime has to agree with him. 

★★★★★

Whenever he comes to visit Tooru, Hajime gets used to a constant barrage of “Uncle Iwa-chan, what did you bring me from Japan?” or “What did you bring me from California?”

The problem is the question is being asked of him by what has to be at least fifty kids. 

“You don’t have to get them anything big you know,” Tooru always tells Hajime, but Hajime finds himself wanting to spoil all of them, which means his bags are always much more full when he sets off for Argentina than when he returns.

Tooru stands there and waits patiently for the children to finish opening their gifts before asking Hajime, “So Iwa-chan, what did you bring me?” batting his eyelashes at him. 

“Hmmm...what did I bring for you...You know I think I forgot to get you anything,” Hajime teases, and just when Tooru begins to pout, he adds “Oh right. Me.”

“Sorry guys,” Tooru tells the kids wrapping his arms around Hajime’s neck before kissing him. “It looks like I win.” 

Conversely, whenever Tooru goes to visit Hajime in California or Japan, he is bombarded with handfuls of letters and drawings, and other small gifts for him to bring to Hajime. He takes the utmost care in packing all of them, making sure that the paper doesn’t get folded or wrinkled in any way. He teases Hajime about how soft he is when Hajime gets emotional over the letters and drawings.

Hajime hangs all of the drawings and letters to hang up in his office at work, where he gets asked about them often. The phrase he hears most often is “I didn’t know you and Oikawa had kids.”

“We don’t. These are all from our nieces and nephews,” he responds, smiling. Nobody seems to question the fact that he’s an only child and Tooru’s sister only has one son. 

★★★★★

The question Tooru gets the most used to being asked over the years before Hajime moves to Argentina is “When is Uncle Iwa-chan going to be here all the time?” 

Early on, he has no real answer for this, all he can say is “I don’t know.” 

He learns later that the children are asking him for two reasons. First, they ask because they have grown to love Hajime as much as they love him. Having to constantly say goodbye to Hajime without knowing for certain when he will be back pains them. But they are also asking for Tooru’s sake. The children are hoping that Tooru and Hajime will be able to be together all the time, because that is when they are the best. Uncle Toto always seems happier when he is with Uncle Iwa-chan. 

When Hajime graduates from college and comes to stay with him for a while, and they ask if Hajime is now staying forever Tooru tells them “maybe”. But maybe turns back into “I don’t know” when Hajime returns to Japan. The children are all upset by this. If they are upset though, it is nothing compared to the crushing sadness Tooru feels. 

Finally, before Tooru sets off for the Olympics, when they ask, he is able to tell them “soon”. And when he returns to Argentina and his teammates and their families are all there to greet him, they ask again “When is Uncle Iwa-chan coming to stay here forever.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know…” Tooru says, drawing it out. 

“How about now?” Hajime asks stepping out from behind Tooru. He is then tackled by about twenty children, who are all ecstatic that he is finally here for good, he’s not leaving this time. They are happy for themselves, but more than anything, they are happy that their favorite uncles will finally be able to be together all the time.

★★★★★

It becomes an undisputed fact that Tooru and Hajime are the favorites out of all the uncles. They are regarded as being the most fun, and always having the best ideas. The children never complain about being babysat by Tooru and Hajime. In fact, when they get older, they will often come to Tooru and Hajime for advice and help with problems they may be having. They are in such high demand that Tooru’s teammates in San Juan have to formulate a schedule to determine who gets to have them babysit their kids when. 

Tooru and Hajime always come up with the best game ideas, many of which get incorporated into team gatherings. Hajime grows accustomed to hearing Tooru yell “Everybody pile on Uncle Iwa-chan!” and then being immediately tackled to the ground. Their large backyard becomes a space where Tooru and Hajime play futbol with the children, or if they ask, where they teach them volleyball using the net Tooru has set up there. Countless hours are spent chasing balls around, or demonstrating the best way to set and spike. Tooru, Hajime, and the children will lay sprawled out on the grass afterward, watching the clouds drift through the sky. 

The girls often fight over when Tooru will do their hair because he always comes up with the most elaborate looks for them, and he comes up with something different every time. It is also a well known fact that Tooru and Hajime tell the best stories, though the story the children like to hear the most is _their_ story, which even though everyone knows it by heart, they always clamor to hear. Tooru spends time with the children in the kitchen, alternating between teaching the children how to cook Japanese recipes, and having them teach him their family recipes. Whenever Tooru bakes, everyone always argues over who gets to lick the bowl, and Hajime has to intervene. 

Tooru and Hajime revel in their role as the favorite uncles, buying the most elaborate birthday and Christmas presents for all the children. They are often told that they spoil the children too much, but they pay this criticism little mind. It is hard to live up to their gifts, they are told. They also indulge the children, allowing them to have more pastries or candies than they would be allowed at home. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, and it is apparent how much they love each of the children as if they were their own. 

Tooru and Hajime agree though, that as much as they love all of their nieces and nephews, having children of their own isn’t for them. They love the days and nights they spend with all of the children, but it’s not something they want to do full time. What need do they have for children of their own, when they have so many in their lives already? Their schedules are so busy, and the timing never seems good for it. Besides, they enjoy having time alone to themselves, especially when they’ve had a stressful day. Sometimes, they just want to be able to be alone with each other, nothing more. Being parents isn’t for them, they decide. Being the favorite and fun uncles though? That they can do. 

**Author's Note:**

> If Tooru and Hajime are speaking to each other, it's in Japanese and if Tooru is talking to any of the kids, it's in Spanish. In the first section, Hajime knows hardly any Spanish, in the second, he is a bit more comfortable with it, bit still not fully fluent. After that point though, assume that he and the children are also speaking Spanish to each other. 
> 
> I have thought of virtually nothing but this for the last several days, so here we are. I am apparently incapable of picturing Tooru and Hajime with children of their own, but with other people's children? Limitless thoughts. So in my mind, the two of them, while being excellent with children, never have children of their own. I just kind of really love the idea of them being the fun uncles for everyone's kids. They wind up getting a cat and a very large dog instead. Maybe two cats and a dog. Undecided there. 
> 
> I can't believe I forgot about makeup when I was first writing this, so I have made an addition. Internally screaming at myself in frustration over it.  
> 
> 
> I guess we can consider this as fitting somewhere into the timeline for my other works, more or less.
> 
> Added to IwaOi Week 2020 for day 5: fluff
> 
> You can find me on twitter stormysgambit


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